William R. Goodchild

William Richard Goodchild, who went by his middle name Richard, was born in England in 1830.¹ During James Buchanan’s presidency, he worked at the White House as a waiter and supervised other members of the serving staff. Buchanan later recommended his skills to a potential employer, writing that he was “a well-trained, excellent, and agreeable servant, & able and willing to turn his hand with satisfaction to any duty assigned to him. His disposition is, I think, very amiable, and he always evinced a desire to please.”² In a receipt book kept by James “Buck” Buchanan Henry (nephew to James Buchanan) between 1857 and 1860, Goodchild is listed as “Steward” or “Steward of the Executive Mansion.” The records indicate that he began receiving payment on December 1, 1857, and served in the role for approximately one month. He later returned to the position on August 2, 1858, and continued receiving monthly payments through October 2, 1860.³ 

In the years that followed, he worked as a clerk in Washington, D.C. He was also a Freemason at Hiram Lodge No. 10.⁴ Goodchild died in 1878 and is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C.⁵ 

Thank you to James Buchanan’s Wheatland for providing research assistance with this biography.